Coast Guard Reinstates Members Discharged Under Biden Vaccine Mandate Amid New Funding Uncertainty
Meanwhile, Coast Guard intercepts six smuggling vessels and apprehends 82 aliens over the weekend.
Slowly, the nation is recovering from the destructive policies associated with the Biden administration’s handling of the covid pandemic.
Over 200 U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) members were discharged after the vaccine mandate was issued in August 2021, which required all service personnel to be vaccinated unless they had approved exemptions. More than 50 are now returning to duty.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said that this group of 56 servicemembers, who were removed under a vaccination requirement imposed by former President Biden in 2021, will receive back pay for the time period they were not allowed to serve.
“The last administration’s vaccine mandates were unconstitutional, un-American, and a gross violation of personal freedom,” Noem said in a press release. “It was no way to treat the men and women who put everything on the line to keep our country safe.
“President Trump is righting these wrongs and returning those unjustly removed members to service,” she continued. “This decision to reinstate these members of the Coast Guard is a major step in the right direction.”
Coast Guard reinstatements!🇺🇸https://t.co/NkAcZE0QrT
— OCNaturalDoc (@ocnaturaldoc) February 25, 2026
After President Donald Trump issued an executive order permitting service members discharged solely for refusing the vaccine to be reinstated with full back pay, benefits, and restoration of rank, the USCG implemented a “Return 2 Service” process and has been contacting affected former members with instructions for seeking reinstatement or records corrections.
DHS said the resinstatements will ensure the service records of each member reflect a period of unbroken and continuous active service between the date of their vaccine-related discharge and their reinstatement to Coast Guard duty.
In accordance with Trump’s executive order, the members may be entitled to back pay and allowances, bonus payments, rank and seniority in grade, as determined by the Coast Guard.
However, it must be noted that the USCG is part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), so members are facing a new set of challenges.
USGS funding is at risk because its budget is wrapped inside the DHS appropriations fight, where partisan deadlock over immigration and border policy has stalled DHS funding bills. The US Senate failed to advance a vote that would have allowed personnel to be paid.
The Senate on Tuesday again failed to advance to a vote on funding for the Department of Homeland Security, raising the prospect that Coast Guard personnel will miss paychecks on Friday.
The failed procedural vote came as Democrats and the White House remained deadlocked over Democrats’ demands for new restrictions on immigration agents.
The impasse appeared unlikely to be resolved before the next scheduled payday for the Coast Guard’s 41,000 uniformed members. Funding for the department, which oversees the Coast Guard in peacetime, lapsed on Feb. 14 for the second time in less than six months.
During last fall’s 43-day governmentwide shutdown, the Trump administration tapped into funds from a sprawling Republican spending bill passed last year to keep the Coast Guard’s active-duty personnel paid.
The USCG has been a critical factor in the recent drive to stop the flow of illegal drugs into this country. The USCG and DHS partner agencies, supported by the U.S. Navy, recently interdicted six suspected maritime smuggling vessels and apprehended 82 aliens during coordinated operations south of San Clemente Island this weekend.
Six vessels suspected of maritime smuggling and transporting a total of 82 migrants were intercepted in separate incidents over the weekend, U.S. Coast Guard officials said Tuesday.
Five vessels were intercepted within a 90-minute span south of San Clemente Island on Saturday, officials said. A sixth vessel was interdicted near Sunset Cliffs the next day.
The Coast Guard, along with the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Navy, coordinated the operations at sea and in the air.
The first reports were received around 12:30 p.m. Saturday regarding three suspected smuggling boats that were traveling north from Mexican waters. The vessels were described as “20-to-25-foot cuddy cabin-style boats carrying fishing gear and fuel barrels onboard,” according to a news release..
Coast Guard intercepts six vessels, apprehends 82 suspected migrants over the weekend https://t.co/evRM6NTjVG
— The San Diego Union-Tribune (@sdut) February 25, 2026
At a time of historic challenges at sea and on our borders, America needs every capable Coast Guard member standing the watch, not sidelined or left wondering if they can feed their families or make their house and car payments.
From interdicting smugglers off San Clemente Island to protecting our ports and saving lives in brutal conditions, these men and women perform dangerous missions that most Americans will never see, but all depend on.
Coast Guard's helicopter rescue of 26-year-old rafter Gabriel Vaughn, who survived five days lost in Oregon's remote Illinois River wilderness after hiking alone during a group trip. pic.twitter.com/QsaacolcR3
— Xnews_with_Grok (@Xnews_with_grok) February 23, 2026
They have already endured unlawful vaccine mandates, career disruption, and now the threat of missed paychecks because of partisan gamesmanship in Washington.
If we are serious about national security, drug interdiction, and border enforcement, then we must be serious about fully staffing the Coast Guard and guaranteeing that every one of its 41,000 uniformed members is paid on time and in full for the vital work they do.
President Trump just recognized the Coast Guard swimmer who rescued 165 people during catastrophic flooding in Texas — and even Democrats stopped their protest and stood up.
“This was Scott’s first ever rescue mission.”
“He lifted not just Millie Kate, but 164 others to… pic.twitter.com/1Xp0Ux7nCA
— Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) February 25, 2026
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Comments
Good …
It would be even better if the communist filth would drop their temper tantrum so we can pay them.
If theres anyone who shouldn’t get paid, it’s Congress.
Every act of Joe Biden (or as he should be rightfully referred to as Barack Obama’s 🐕) should be overturned and erased from the books. His presidency was stolen from the American people in 2020. He was illegitimate then, he’s illegitimate now.
If you’re still on the fence about this all I can say is give it time. Once no harm can come to either Saint Barack or his court jester Lunchpail Joe, a preference cascade will take place. “Oh, everyone knows that election fraud happened in 2020. That’s old news. We need to move forward.”
Holding these young Coast Guard people and their families hostage for the sake of illegal aliens is despicable and entirely in character for the soulless bastards in the vile Democrat Party. You can’t hate them enoiugh.
I hope this goes to the state and city level as well.
Blue states and cities purged a lot of wrong thinkers with this mandate.
Justice and Karma needs to be upheld.
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